This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Enjoy closing down a California bar at 2 a.m.? Hold my beer, say a pair of San Francisco Democrats. Assemblymember Matt Haney and Sen. Scott Wiener are bringing back a measure to allow some restaurants and bars in...
Fresno County Passes Ordinance to Punish Copper Wire Thieves
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors has passed an ordinance to make it easier for law enforcement to arrest copper wire thieves. Individuals possessing or transporting 10 pounds or more of stripped copper wire, without appropriate licenses, will be subject to arrest and fines. Law enforcement and political officials are...
Fresno Native Denise Whisenhunt Returns Home to Lead City College
After a rigorous recruitment process, a Fresno native, Denise Whisenhunt, J.D., returns home as Fresno Community College’s new president. The State Center Community College District announced Whisenhunt’s appointment Tuesday morning following a nationwide search. Whisenhunt is taking over for Robert Pimentel who resigned last August, after two years as president,...
Smittcamp Warns Fresno Supervisors About New Copper Theft Law. Bredefeld Wants to Take a Risk
This story was updated to include clarification from Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. After a warning from Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp about the constitutionality of a new ordinance, county supervisors approved a law making it illegal for a person to have more than 10 pounds of stripped...
Border Patrol Said It Targeted Known Criminals in Kern County. But It Had No Record on 77 of 78 Arrestees
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. It was quiet on the border. A Border Patrol agent named James Lee was parked in the shade next to a 30-foot fence in Calexico. The windows of his SUV were rolled up, the engine making that noise...
Eyewitnesses Recount Deadly Israeli Attack on Medics in Gaza
CAIRO — It was still dark out when a group of ambulances and a fire truck dispatched by Palestinian emergency response services slowed to a halt in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, early on March 23. They had been sent to find their paramedic colleagues, who had...
How High Will the Thermometer Climb This Week in Fresno?
If you haven't reset your sprinkler system schedule yet to add more watering days, this week would be a good time to get on top of that. The National Weather Service in Hanford is forecasting sunny skies and warmer-than-usual temperatures and pretty much zero chance of rain for at least...
Visalia Man Admits to Selling Machine Guns to Undercover Agent
A Visalia man has pleaded guilty to selling machine guns and illegally manufacturing and dealing firearms, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Shawn Saesee, 20, admitted to selling eight firearms — including five machine guns — to an undercover agent on four separate occasions, according to court documents. Authorities said Saesee carried...
Clovis Council Has ‘Buyer’s Remorse’ Over Recycling Contract Delay
Lamenting "buyer's remorse" over delaying a long-term recycling contract, the Clovis City Council may award a 10-year deal to Mid Valley Disposal after all. In February, the council held off, wanting staff to consider splitting the contract for separate residential and commercial collection. To do so, the city would need...
Guerrero, Blue Jays Agree to a $500 Million, 14-Year Deal That Starts in 2026, AP Source Says
NEW YORK — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $500 million, 14-year contract that starts in 2026, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, a deal that removes what would have been the biggest star from next offseason's free-agent market. The person...